Maynard Jackson High School
Media Services
Mrs. Stephanie Johnson, Principal
Mrs. Tonya Ricks
Media Specialist
Mission Possible
Maynard Jackson High School students are required to read a minimum of two (2)
books during the summer. Reading is an enjoyable experience and one should read
or pleasure, not simply for academic credit. To that end we have created a list that
gives a great deal of leeway to you when choosing books.

.
Students are free to choose books from the following sources:
The grade level lists that follow. These lists blend popular and classic fiction and non
-fiction and were selected in part by teachers and students. Any suitable book that
has been approved by your English teacher. Any book of equal literary merit as approved by your parents.
SUGGESTED SUMMER READING LIST
FOR STUDENTS ENTERING GRADE 9
A SEPARATE PEACE — Knowles, John
In A Separate Peace, narrator Gene returns to Devon School 15 years after the end of World War II and recalls the unnatural “peace” experienced
there by boys who were on the brink of going to war. His most poignant memory is of his love and jealousy for his friend, the
brash, dare devil Phineas. a
PEACE BREAKS OUT— Knowles, John Their lives collide in the uneasy days of peace after World War II as senior year at the Devon School
changes from a time of friendship to a stunning drama of tragic betrayal. Sequel to A Separate Peace (178 pages)
A RAISIN IN THE SUN — Hansberry, Lorraine The voices of an African American family struggling against poverty and with one another’s needs
pull readers into this drama. Family loyalty, the need for a strong black identity, and the frustration of the American dream just
beyond the grasp of the younger family are all relevant in this drama.
FAHRENHEIT 451 — Bradbury, Ray
This book rivals Orwell’s 1984 for its bleak version of a technological future— books are burned by firemen (the title refers to the burning point of
paper), drugs are rampant, earphones are worn by everyone to tune out society, and wall-sized televisions dominate the
household. A science fiction classic.
KILLING MR. GRIFFIN — Duncan, Lois A powerful novel about a group of high school students who plan to scare their tough English teacher
into being more lenient. Their attempt brings Mr.Griffin’s heart attack. (223 pages)
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH — Avi Ninth grader Philip Malloy hums along with the playing of the “Star Spangled Banner” daily during homeroom period. Margaret Narwin, teacher of English and Philip’s homeroom teacher, sends Philip to the vice-principal for breaking a
faculty rule that requires students to stand at “respectful, silent attention” during the presentation of the national anthem. This novel is written in
a documentary style and delves into the many faces truth wears. (177 pages)
I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS — Angelou, Maya Angelou’s autobiography recounts her early years growing up in small community
with her grandmother, brother, anduncle, and her experiences in adolescence living with her mother and father (separately).
THE HOBBIT— Tolkien, J.R. The hobbit Bilbo Baggins embarks on the adventure of a lifetime in this famous, wonderfully inventive fantasy that
serves as a delightful introduction to Tolkien’s mythical world of Middle Earth.
WHITE FANG — London, Jack
White Fang, part wolf and part dog, is the only one of five cubs to survive in the wilds of the North. Under his first owner, Gray Beaver, White
Fang becomes a strong sled dog, a leader, and a killer of weaker dogs. His second owner, the cruel Beauty Smith, makes
White Fang fight to death for money.
ANGELA’S ASHES — McCourt, Frank Frank McCourt's autobiographical book about his growing up in poverty in Ireland and making his way to
become a professor and writer. A gripping, intriguing work.
SUGGESTED SUMMER READING LIST
FOR STUDENTS ENTERING GRADE 10
A LESSON BEFORE DYING - Gaines, Ernest A young teacher discovers compassion and commitment as he tutors a prisoner on death row.
FALLEN ANGELS - Myers, Walter Dean Fictional account of an inner city youth's experience as a soldier in Vietnam.
A JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH - Verne, Jules An adventurous scientist and his assistant experience remarkable events while
searching for the passageway to the center of the Earth.
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS - Hemingway, Ernest An American fights against fascism in Spain by leading a band of guerrillas in a hopeless
cause.
THE CONFESSIONS OF NAT TURNER -Styron, William Sterno adds a novelist’s insights to one of the most significant slave rebellions of
the early Thea century in Virginia.
ALL THE KING’S MEN -Warren, Robert Penn This novel recounts the rise and fall of Willie Stark, a Southern political despot.
FENCES -Wilson, August A working class African American father and son struggle with family responsibilities and each other.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME - Hawking, Stephen One of the great minds of the century presents his ideas on the nature of time and the universe.
PROFILES IN COURAGE - Kennedy, John Kennedy chronicles the courageous struggles of noted Americans.
SORROW’S KITCHEN -Lyons, Mary E. This book is a fascinating biography of the rediscovered Black writer, Zora Peale Hurston, and includes
excerpts from her stories.
SUGGESTED SUMMER READING LIST
FOR STUDENTS ENTERING GRADE 11
COLLECTED SHORT STORIES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES -Doyle, A.C. A collection of murder mystery stories starring the famous Sherlock
Holmes.
THE ROAD FROM COORAIN - Ker Conway, Jill A true story of one woman’s exodus from Australia to the United States.
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (and/or any of her novels: see Sense and Sensibility; Emma (Clueless was derived from Emma.) - Austen, Jane
An exquisitely written novel in the tradition of comedy of manners dealing with a family’s life in the nineteenth century.
TESS OF THE D’UBERVILLES - Hardy, Thomas. Violated by one man and forsaken by another, Tess is the magnificent and spirited heroine. She
is a good person who is mistreated by others. This novel is her story.
ANIMAL FARM - Orwell, George It’s overworked and mistreated animals overtake a farm. They set out to develop a place of justice and peace but
what happens will surprise you. This book is symbolic in nature and is often mistaken for a simple story.
1984 -Orwell, George Orwell creates a world where people are controlled by the government. This novel is about absolute power and absolute fear.
It is shocking and makes you think about who or what controls us.
HEART OF DARKNESS -Conrad, Joseph Marlow travels up the Congo River for a trading company. Far upriver, he encounters the man, Kurtz, an
ivory trader who has gone crazy and acts as though he was a god. This book is a story within a story and is a gripping account. It was transposed
into the movie, Apocalypse Now.
CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY -Paton, Alan A deeply moving story about an African Zulu pastor and his family set against white South Africa
during the time of racial injustice. It is a work of sorrow, happiness, courage, and strength.
JANE EYRE -Brontë, Charlotte This impassioned novel is the story of Jane Eyre, a plain yet spirited governess and her employer, the arrogant,
brooding Mr. Rochester. Published in 1847, under the pseudonym Currer Bell, the book heralded a new kind of heroine—one whose virtuous
integrity, keen intellect and tireless perseverance broke through class barriers to win equal stature with the man she loved.
A TALE OF TWO CITIES -Dickens, Charles Dickens has a firm grasp of the historical necessity of the [French] Revolution; rooting its own brutality in long-endured injustices. This dreadful personal history of the Manattes, Madame Defarge, and the Evermondes illuminates with a brilliant
and unbearably harsh light, the meaning of the Revolution itself.
THE GRAPES OF WRATH -Steinbeck, John This historical novel details the desperate flight of tenant farmers from the Midwest during the Depression.
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X - Malcolm X This autobiography reveals the long spiritual and intellectual journey of the
private Malcolm.
BAND OF BROTHERS - Ambrose, Stephan Ambrose traces a platoon of American paratroopers from training in the U.S. across France and into
Germany during World War II. Gives a tremendous insight into why American soldiers fought in the Second World War.
SUGGESTED SUMMER READING LIST
FOR STUDENTS ENTERING GRADE 12
THINGS FALL APART. - Achebe, Chinua The story of Okonkwo, a prideful and hardworking Igbo farmer, presents a view of West African life.
THE EXAMINATION - Bosse, Malcolm This novel of historical fiction set in 16th century China portrays two very different brothers and the divergent paths they take to prepare for their school examinations.
FAHRENHEIT 451 - Bradbury, Ray What happens when censorship reigns supreme forms the basis of this chilling story.
MEMORY OF EARTH -Card, Orson Scott This book describes a futuristic society in which women hold the power and the world is
monitored by a super computer that tries to prevent violence and war.
DEATH COMES FOR THE ARCHBISHOP - Cather, Willa This novel recounts the efforts of a French bishop and his priest to establish a diocese
in the territory of New Mexico.
THE LOST WORLD - Crichton, Michael This sequel to Jurassic Park returns to the island and its survivors.
A TALE OF TWO CITIES - Dickens, Charles The French Revolution is the setting for this tale of adventure, love, and intrigue.
OLIVER TWIST -Dickens, Charles An orphan escapes to London, where he is captured by thieves and is forced to join in their escapades before
finding happiness through an unexpected benefactor.
A LESSON BEFORE DYING -Gaines, Ernest A young teacher discovers compassion and commitment as he tutors a prisoner on death row.
THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME - Hugo, Victor Hugo recounts the tale of love and adventure between the grotesque deaf, mute hunchback and the mysteriously beautiful gypsy dancer.
LES MISERABLES -Hugo, Victor This novel tells of the struggle for freedom in post revolutionary France.
A TIME FOR DANCING - Hurwin, David Wills This is the story of four close girlfriends who have been inseparable for most of their 16 years and
how they learn to deal with death and dying when one of them is diagnosed with cancer.
DANGER ZONE - Klass, David Jimmy Doyle is an accomplished basketball player from a small town who finds himself faced with hate and racist
views when he accepts an offer to play for the American dream team. THE SOURCE -Michener, James This is a fictionalized saga of archaeologists
digging in Israel and the drama of their findings.
FALLEN ANGELS - Myers, Walter Dean Fictional account of an inner city youth's experience as a soldier in Vietnam.
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE - Shakespeare, William This play is a serious study of the use and misuse of wealth, love, and marriage.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING - Shakespeare, William Misunderstandings, masks, and matchmaking all play a role in this well-known comedy.
THE DEVIL’S DISCIPLE -Shaw, G. B. Ne’er-do-well Dick Dudgeon is hunted by red coats and finds that sacrificing himself for someone else
makes him a better person.
BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS - Simon, Neil A humorous look at growing up in the Bronx during the 1940s.
NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS, AN AMERICAN SLAVE -Douglass, Frederick Douglass recounts his slave experiences
in his own words.
GOING SOLO -Dahl, R. Dahl presents autobiographical stories from his early fighting in World War II.